MAIRE has announced that its subsidiary, Tecnimont (Integrated E&C Solutions), has been awarded a contract by Fértil Pampa S.A.U., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pampa Energia S.A., to develop a large-scale fertilizer complex in Argentina.
The project will feature a world-class ammonia plant and two parallel ultra-low energy (ULE) urea production trains, each equipped with its own granulation unit. Together, the facility will have a production capacity of 6,000 metric tons per day (2.1 million tons annually), making it the largest urea plant in Latin America by production capacity.
Located on an 80-hectare site within the Bahía Blanca Industrial Complex in Buenos Aires Province, the facility will benefit from its proximity to Pampa’s existing power generation assets and direct access to key infrastructure, including natural gas pipelines, high-voltage transmission lines, water intake systems, and a deep-water export port, ensuring efficient project execution and logistics.
Tecnimont’s scope covers engineering, procurement, commissioning, and start-up activities. Nextchem will provide the technology package, utilizing Stamicarbon’s industry-leading urea melt and granulation licensing technologies, Process Design Package (PDP), proprietary equipment, and KT Tech’s primary reformer for syngas production. KBR will supply the ammonia technology.
The contract is valued at approximately €1.3 billion, including €140 million allocated to Nextchem’s technology package.
Project execution will also involve SACDE S.A., one of Argentina’s leading construction companies. The project is expected to be completed within 41 months.
Beyond its industrial significance, the project is expected to deliver substantial socio-economic benefits to the Buenos Aires Province by creating more than 3,500 direct jobs during peak construction, while also generating significant indirect employment opportunities across the supply chain. It will further strengthen Argentina’s fertilizer industry and support the country’s position in regional agricultural markets.
Alessandro Bernini, CEO of MAIRE, commented: “This award marks our entry in Argentina, further diversifying our geographical footprint, and highlights our ability to integrate Tecnimont’s recognized project execution capabilities alongside Nextchem’s technology portfolio to deliver large-scale industrial projects worldwide. We are proud to contribute to the development of this strategic fertilizer complex in the region, which will support the monetization of natural gas reserves in the domestic downstream sector, and also strengthen the country’s fertilizer production.”